Method of producing tubing



y 1935- s. F. CLEMENT 2,002,258

METHOD OF PRODUCING TUBING Filed April 9, 1954 q UNITED STATES 5 erallymanufactured by I Patented May 21, 1935 PATENT oFrlc-E 2,002,258 'METHODOF PRODUCING TUBING SylvesterF. Clement, Chicago, Ill., assignor to TheVisking Corporation, Chicago, 111., a cor poration of VirginiaApplication April 9, 1934, Serial No..719,783

2 Claims.

The invention relates to a method of producing tubing and moreparticularly to a method of producing seamless cellulose tubing.

In practice, seamless cellulose tubing is genextruding viscose throughan annular orifice into coagulating and regenerating baths, after whichthe tubing is washed in water and treated with a softening agent. Theseveral baths are held in tanks or receptacles and rollers are providedfor advancing the tubing through the baths, the tubing be ing preferablyproduced continuously over a period of days and even months. Gases areevolved in the tubing during the coagulating and regenerating steps andit is necessary to effect the escape of the gases from the tubing. Thismay be done by puncturing the tubing at intervals.

As set forth in my Patent 1,958,181 the tubing tends to wrinkle or foldas it passes over the,

through apparatus for producing seamless cellumeans being shown forholding the tubing in an unwrinkled condition.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the section of tubing shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation of a section of tubing which has beenpunctured to permit escape of the gases evolved therein, and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring for the present to Fig. 1 of the drawing wherein apparatus forproducing seamless cellulose tubing is illustrated, the referencecharacter l designates generally apparatus for extruding viscose throughan annular orifice ll into a coagulating or regenerating bath l2 whichis held in a receptacle l3. The tubing thus above a plurality of tanksl8, the rollers [6 being immersed in baths held in the tanks l8. Thebaths may be regenerating baths. It will be noted 7 that the tubing 20is trained over the rollers l and IS in such manner that the tubingpasses through the baths held in the tanks l8.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, a plurality of extruding devices Ill areemployed in connection with a single bath I2 so that a plurality oftubes 20 are continuously being formed and advanced'over 10 the rollersl4, I5 and I6.

During the passage of the tubes 20 through the bath l2 and the bathsheld in the tanks l8 gases are evolved within the tubing. These gases 7distend the tubing and the tubing must be punctured at intervals topermit the escape ofthe gases.

At predetermined intervals, the operator cuts a slit 25 in the tubing20. as it is being advanced (Fig. 3). The operator then places ametallic clip 26 over the tubing directly beneath (behind) the slit 25.The clip 26 is preferably formed from wire and is adapted to hold thetubing in a fiat, collapsed condition. The direction :in which thetubing is advancing is indicated by the arrow 28 in Fig. 3. Obviously,gas evolved in the tubing 26 in advance of the slit 25 will escapethrough the slit 25 as the tubing continues to pass around the rollersl4, l5 and IS. The clip 25 prevents the gas in the tubing in advance 30of it from passing into that section of the tubing disposed between theclip 26 and the extruding The clip 26 insures that the tubing willremain in a flat, unwrinkled condition as it passes through succeedingbaths.

In Figs. 5 and 6, another form of clip is shown in place of the clip 26.In Figs. 5 and 6 the tubing 20 is held flattened beneath the slit 25 bytwo sticks 30 which have their ends secured to each other by rubberbands 3|. These sticks 30 are described in my co-pending applicationidentified above. The sticks 30 are preferably flat pieces of woodnotched at the ends to receive the rubber. bands 3!. It is obvious thatafter a slit 25 has been cut in the tubing 20, the operator may attachthe sticks 30 directly beneath the slit 25 to insure that the tubingwill remain in a fiat, unwrinkled condition and to insure that the gasin advance of the slit 25 will not pass to that section of tubingdisposed between the slit and the extruding orifice ll.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, itis to be understood that it is capable of many modifications.

Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asdisclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claimall novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as possible, in View ofthe prior art.

I claim: 7

1. A method of making cellulose tubing which comprises: extrudingviscose through an annular orifice into a coagulating bath, therebyforming a seamless tube; carrying the tube on rollers through asubsequent regenerating bath, or baths; and making slits in the tube atintervals and flattening and clamping the tube in flattened conditionsufficiently close to the slits to prevent the tube from gaping open orwrinkling at the slit, the slits being left in open condition.

2. A method or" making cellulose tubing which comprises: extrudingviscose through an annular orifice into a coagulating bath, therebyforming a seamless tube; carrying the tube on rollers through asubsequent regenerating bath, or baths; and making slits in the tube atintervals and flattening and clamping the tube in flattened conditionback of and sufiiciently close to prevent the tube from gaping open orwrinkling at the slits, the slits being left in open condition.

SYLVESTER F. CLEMENT.

